


can we skip past near death cliches?

by hollyhobbit101



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [4]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Bad Things Happen Bingo, Bombs, Hurt Carlos, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Injury, Worried Michelle, Worried TK, a lot more comfort that hurt in this one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:01:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23738758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollyhobbit101/pseuds/hollyhobbit101
Summary: It’s the kind of call every first responder dreads. A bomb threat in an apartment block, civilian’s lives on the line, the whole situation a hair’s breadth away from disaster. And Carlos is right in the middle of it.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Michelle Blake & Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star), Owen Strand & TK Strand
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1691701
Comments: 10
Kudos: 221
Collections: Bad Things Happen Bingo





	can we skip past near death cliches?

**Author's Note:**

> Bad Things Happen Bingo prompt: Caught in an explosion
> 
> Anon: Oh I hope you’re still doing the bad things bingo for tarlos! Because I’ve been having this idea that Carlos would be the first to volunteer to disarm a bomb and get caught in the explosion all while poor TK and Michelle are outside the building being held back by their team. It goes perfectly for the getting into an explosion bingo.
> 
> Title from Touch by Sleeping At Last
> 
> A PSBT is a Public Safety Bomb Technician, locally-based experts who are trained to handle bombs.

It’s the kind of call every first responder dreads. A bomb threat in an apartment block, civilian’s lives on the line, the whole situation a hair’s breadth away from disaster. Their ride to the scene is silent but for Owen briefing them on their duties; they’ll be on standby unless and until something goes wrong.

It’s crawling with cops when they get there as well as a couple of EMS crews, including Michelle and her team. Owen goes straight over to the police chief, leaving the others to prep the equipment.

“Anyone ever run a call like this before?” Mateo asks, wide-eyed.

Marjan nods. “Once, back in Florida. It was…” She trails off and shrugs.

“Intense?” Mateo fills in, causing a smile to appear on Marjan’s face.

“Sure, Probie.”

“We had a couple hoaxes in New York,” T.K. adds. “Never the real thing though.”

T.K. doesn’t listen to Mateo’s response, his eyes scanning the officers on crowd control. He can’t see Carlos among them, but he recognises his cruiser, so he must be here somewhere. He keeps looking, but his dad returns before he can find Carlos.

“Alright, 126, listen up,” Owen says. “We’ve had no evidence to suggest that this might be a hoax so, as you all know, we have to treat this as if it’s the real deal. Fortunately, the block is mostly clear, and the PD have sent in some volunteer officers with a PSBT to find any stragglers and, if possible, identify the threat.

“We’ll be working in conjunction with EMS in the event of an explosion. In that case, Paul and Judd, you will be going inside if it’s deemed safe to extract any casualties. Marjan and T.K. - you’ll be with Captain Blake, so do whatever she tells you. Mateo - water.”

They all nod and disperse, T.K. chasing after Owen as he walks away, a sick feeling growing in his stomach. There are officers in there, and Carlos isn’t here, but surely he wouldn’t be so stupid to volunteer for something so dangerous. Except T.K. knows this is exactly the kind of thing Carlos would do; not because he’s stupid, but because he’s the bravest person T.K. has ever known, and he would do anything to save people.

“Dad, do you know who’s in there?” he asks, and the pitying look on Owen’s face is confirmation enough.

His dad sighs heavily. “Yes, Carlos is in there,” he says. “But, T.K., you cannot let this interfere. We still have a job to do.”

“I know,” T.K. replies, but his eyes are on the building, as if searching for a sign that Carlos is alive, is okay.

That’s when the bomb goes off.

* * *

T.K. doesn’t even know he’s moving until his dad’s hands come down on his shoulders, holding him back. “I have to go in there,” T.K. says, struggling to get free. He can feel the team’s eyes on him, but he doesn’t care, he just has to get to Carlos.

“No, you’re staying out here,” Owen says, forcing him further towards the truck. “Paul and Judd have it covered.”

“But -”

“No buts,” Owen interrupts. “T.K., you’re compromised. It’s for everyone’s safety - _including_ Carlos’s - that you need to stay here. Clear?”

T.K. fights for a second more, but he knows his dad is right. He has to trust Judd and Paul to get Carlos out okay.

Owen smiles at him. “He’ll be okay, son.”

T.K. wishes he could believe him.

* * *

He’s kept busy by Michelle as civilian after civilian comes through to EMS, but he keeps glancing up to watch for Carlos, and he knows she’s doing the same. It’s a comfort, being with her; there’s a kind of solidarity in it, knowing that he’s not the only going out of his mind with worry for Carlos.

Paul’s voice comes crackling over the radio. “Cap, we’ve found the PD. They were pretty close to the blast, but it looks like the protective suits held up okay. Couple of them are buried under some rubble; we should be able to shift it, but make sure EMS are standing by.”

T.K. looks over at Michelle, eyes wide and panicked. She reaches over and squeezes his hand, understanding written all over her face, and it’s only that that stops T.K. from running straight into that building.

It’s an agonising wait, but eventually Paul emerges, a familiar figure in his arms. Carlos’s protective helmet has fallen off, and even at a distance, T.K. can see the blood matting his hair. His heart seizes, but he tries to stay composed as Carlos is left with them. Paul’s hand comes down on his shoulder, the touch brief, but it grounds T.K., calms his racing nerves a little.

Up close, Carlos’s injuries don’t seem too extensive, but the gash at his hairline is worrying. Carlos groans, his eyes fluttering open, and T.K. does his best to smile reassuringly as he comes back to awareness.

“Hey,” he murmurs, a hand on Carlos’s face. “You’re okay, it’s okay.”

“T.K.?” Carlos frowns, then tries to push himself up, only for Michelle to push him firmly back down on the ground.

“You stay right there, mister,” she warns, but there’s a smile in her voice.

Carlos laughs tiredly. “Hey, chica.”

And, at the sight of Carlos’s smile, T.K.’s able to relax a little. Carlos is okay.

Michelle finishes patching up Carlos’s head quickly, then helps him to sit up, passing him over to T.K. as she turns to the next patient.

“You had me worried, asshole,” T.K. says, bringing Carlos’s knuckles to his lips.

“Guess we’re even, then,” Carlos jokes, and T.K. smiles.

Tim comes over to get Carlos into an ambulance, so T.K. drops a quick kiss on his forehead and lets him go, closing his eyes in relief. He wishes, sometimes, that his boyfriend didn’t have to be so heroic all the damn time.

Then again, that’s just who Carlos is, and T.K. would be lying if he said he didn’t love it. And he wouldn’t change it for the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed! As always, you can find me/prompt me on tumblr @morganaspendragonss!


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